Toddlers and 2-Year Old Programming
"I'm just a kid, I have a lot of stuff to do yet."
~ Clint Eastwood
Our commitment to quality care continues in our Toddler and 2-year old rooms. Children at this age are eager learners who energetically interact with materials and people. We at the center realize that an environment and curriculum that encourages each child's growing need of independence is a basis for developing and mastering life skills and a positive self esteem. By playing in both large and small groups, these children will learn valuable social skills needed to effectively interact with others. While engaging in fun activities toddlers and 2-year olds will discover their likes and talents and will be exposed to fundamentals such as: colors, shapes, self-help skills, as well as social and language development.
Children under the age of 2 years old will have a notebook system for direct communication with their teacher(s). In this notebook the teacher will log the daily activities, feedings and the rest times of your child. Parents will be asked to list pertinent information that will ensure the individualized schedule of each child is up-to-date, to inculde but not limited to: the last time your child ate, slept and was changed, as well as mood and sleeping patterns of the night before. Parents of 2-year olds will find daily information posted in the Parent Area of the room.
Arts for Kids has an individualized program for the needs of children ages of
6-weeks to 2-years old.
All children will have individual contact and attention through feeding, diapering and learning experience.
Each child will follow their individual routine of feeding and sleeping set by their home environment.
The children will be provided with equipment to fit their educational development and creative expression appopriate to their age level.
Daily communication with parents:
~ A notebook for each child under two years of age will be sent home with parents summarizing child's activities.
Parents will bring back notebook with information for teachers.
Staff will ensure that throughout the day infants will be moved into different activities.
Potty Training Policy
If parents and the center are in agreement that a child is developmentally ready, Arts for Kids will begin to encourage potty training at age 2.
At 2-1/2 years old age, regular potty training is part of our daily program and routine. Children will be encouraged to wear pull-ups or underwear (depending on progress) and have plenty of extra pull-ups or underwear on hand. They will be taken to the bathroom every 2 hours (possibly more often at the beginning). If a child is wearing underwear, they will be put in a pull-up or diaper for naps, unless completely trained. We will use lots of praise for a "job well done" and lots of understanding when "accidents happen" if a child has a rough day.
Sometimes potty training can happen overnight and sometimes it can be a long process - we just need to have a lot of patience.
January 2026 News!
Toddler I
Happy 2026!
Last month was full of Christmas themes, making gifts, dressing up, and lots of snow! We had a blast last month learning all about the holidays.
This month will include more winter activities as we work on skills like sharing, taking turns, using our words, and developing our gross and fine motor skills.
Stay warm!
Ms. Rachel and Ms. Tina
Toddler II
We’re excited for a fun and cozy month ahead in Toddler 2 with Ms. Kenzie and Ms. Kayla. Our themes will include New Year, Arctic Animals, Winter Wonderland, Comfy and Cozy, and Snowmen. Throughout the month, we will explore these themes through songs, books, sensory play, art activities, and motor play that support early learning and development. We look forward to starting the new year with your little ones and making many wintery memories together!
Ms. Kenzie and Ms. Kayla
Toddler III
Happy New Year, families! We’re so excited to welcome January with a month packed with winter fun in our toddler class. This month, we’ll be diving into the Arctic with themes like Arctic Animals, Winter Wonderland, Comfy and Cozy, and Snowmen. Our little explorers will get to know the chilly world of penguins, polar bears, and snowy owls through songs, stories, and fun sensory play. We’ll turn our classroom into a cozy winter haven with soft blankets, warm reading spots, and creative art projects. Snowman crafts and frosty science experiments will make the season extra special!
Please remember to dress your child in layers and bring a warm hat and mittens for outdoor play. We’re looking forward to sharing the wonder of winter with you all!
Ms. Erica
2's I
Welcome & Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s.
Parents, please remember to bring your child’s winter gear daily and have extra clothes in their cubby also.
Our themes last month were: Gingerbread man, Hot Cocoa/Holiday treats, two weeks of Christmas, and then New Year’s.
Thank you to the parents that bought a treat for the Christmas party. The kids had so much fun. I really appreciate your help. The kiddos really enjoyed making the Christmas gifts for you guys! I hope you all enjoyed them.
Our themes this month: Winter Animals, Snowmen, Snow/Snowflakes, and Winter Sports.
Parents, please make sure to check your child’s cubby for important paperwork/artwork.
Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to see me in person or contact me via the parent app. I am always available to meet your needs and support you any way I can. I hope everyone has a wonderful month! Thank you!
Ms. Ashley
2's-II
Hello all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I hope everyone has a fantastic new year and had a very Merry Christmas. We were busy last month with our indoor large motor activities, eye-hand coordination skills, and making presents for our parents. The first week our theme was snow, which was perfect because that was the week we got our snow storm. Outside we had fun making snow angels and pulling our friends on the sled. The parachute with the “snowballs” was a hit and also the snowy pokey. The following week we enjoyed talking about gingerbread/hot cocoa. We kept quoting the gingerbread man “Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man.” We especially liked the gingerbread sensory bin with gingerbread dough. We made hot cocoa and the kids did an excellent job at listening to directions while we made it. Some really loved the hot cocoa and some could care less. The next week was all about Christmas. The kids were really proud of themselves for making their parents a gift. And I want to say thank you to all the parents that brought in food and presents; it is really appreciated. Hope everyone stays warm and if you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Ms. Laura
2's-III
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2’s III!
We are looking forward to another great year of learning through play!
December was lots of fun for us! We started the month off by learning about Winter and Snow. After Winter/Snow week we covered Gingerbread & Hot Chocolate, The 5 senses of Christmas, and New Years.
As we kicked off Winter/Snow week we used our language skills to talk about the clothing we need for the cold months and with the cold and snowy weather, we got plenty of practice in dressing and undressing while getting our snow gear on and off.
We sit to put on our snow pants, and you might hear your child say they need to find their toes before standing to pull them up the rest of the way. We also use the “magic flip” method of putting on our jackets and stand to put on our boots. The children take such pride in being able to get their snow/winter gear on themselves without help! You might even see them try to help each other with their jacket zippers!
During the month, we did a variety of theme related activities to build our motor skills, eye hand coordination and creativity, such as painting snowflakes with pipe cleaners, made snow angels in the snow, decorated a gingerbread house using stickers, sorted winter items by size, decorated a Christmas tree and made Christmas presents for our families. We even taste tested gingerbread cookies and drank hot chocolate for Gingerbread & Hot Chocolate week!
We worked daily on our language and social skills, with activities such as the question of the day, sign language sign of the day, transition songs to help us switch to a new task, and small group activities where we worked together. You could often find us helping each other build Lego or magnetic block creations, making each other pretend meals, and even looking at books together.
The last couple of weeks of December were spent learning about different holidays, working on our family Christmas gifts, and getting ready for New Years as we learned about different ways people celebrate and practicing counting down. I hope you enjoyed receiving their Christmas ornament and Christmas I love you card as much as they enjoyed making them!
We will kick off the new year by building our social, language, and motor skills as we learn about common winter animals.
I hope you have a wonderful start to your year and, as always, feel free to ask if you have any questions. You can always message me on the Lillio app, leave me a note, or talk to me in person.
Blessings on your year,
Ms. Sara B. & 2’s III
